Telephoning When you answer the phone at work, your language and telephone manner may be the first impression a new customer gets of your company. Talk together. What do you think is important to make a good impression? Have you had positive or negative experiences when calling a company on business? Listen to the two telephone conversations. What is the situation in 1? And in 2? 4 a b 57m956 75 Receptionist: (1) Swan Hotel, good afternoon, Carrie speaking. (2) What can I do for you? Student: (3) Hello, my name is Axel Kurz, I’m calling from Austria. Receptionist: Sorry, I can hardly hear you, it’s a bad line. (4) Could you repeat that, please? Student: Yes, of course. (5) I’m Axel Kurz from Graz in Austria and (6) I would like to ask about an internship. Receptionist: Oh, hello Mr Kurz! (7) I’ll put you through to John. He’s in charge of internships. It’s ringing for you now. (8) Hold the line, please. Receptionist: … (9) I’m sorry, there’s no reply. John might be in a meeting. Would you like to try again in an hour or so? Student: No problem. I’ll do that. (10) Bye. 1 Axel Kurz, an Austrian student, is calling a hotel in Wales. Think about the different types of communication. How can you decide which form of communication is best in a particular situation? In pairs, talk about the advantages and disadvantages of these different forms of communication. Complete the table by deciding which of the criteria A–E would be advantages or disadvantages and which make no difference. A costs B speed C written record D confidentiality E building a relationship Advantage Disadvantage Neither informal talk building a relationship, speed, confidentiality no written record costs telephoning memo email group chat business letter video conferencing Example: I think the advantages of telephoning are that you get information really quickly, and it does not cost much. A disadvantage is that you don’t have a written record of agreements you make on the phone. 3 a b 143 B Business communication Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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